Clam chowder. Clam bake. Clam up. Tight as a clam. As happy as a clam. OK, but you don't normally associate the filter-feeding, plankton-feasting bivalve mollusc -- you probably won't use that term either -- with gems. Oysters, yes, but clams?

It's hard to believe that Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne sixty years ago this February. In the words of the late historian John Grigg, "Elizabeth II deserves praise for having been a bastion of stability in an age of social and moral flux."

It's Leap Day! The date when by tradition, women can propose marriage to the men in their lives. Of course, women have been disregarding this for years, but today is a perfect excuse to buy a gift for your favorite guy.

Of the over one hundred etiquette subjects I have taught, dress and etiquette are always in the top ten. Dressing is not like setting the table, where rules rule. Are there rules for dress? You bet, but there's a lot more freedom of style.